2003 GMC Sierra 1500

large pickup / Extended cab pickup

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 1999-2006 models

Tested vehicle: 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LS ext cab

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 were redesigned during the 1999 model year (the previous design extended into the early 1999 model year). The Classic nameplate was added in the 2007 model year to distinguish what effectively are carryover 2006 models from the redesigned 2007 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500.

Note: These ratings do NOT apply to the redesigned 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Dummy movement wasn't well controlled. After the dummy moved forward into the airbag, its head dropped down below the window sill. Then the head rebounded upward and hit the shoulder belt housing, which is mounted directly to the seat back. There was far too much upward movement of the steering wheel. Also, the driver seat came loose on one of its tracks and moved rearward slightly on the right side, where the safety belt buckle is anchored.

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates the driver's survival space wasn't maintained well.

Poor control of dummy movement allowed the head to drop below the window sill.

Footwell and instrument panel intrusion, in combination with the driver seat pitching forward, greatly reduced the space for the dummy's legs and feet.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0107
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 28
Left (cm) 28
Center (cm) 26
Right (cm) 23
Brake pedal (cm) 24
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 11
Right (cm) 11
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 15
Rearward (cm) 4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 9

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0107
Head
HIC-15 361
Peak gs at hard contact 22
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 66
Maximum Nij 0.59
Chest maximum compression (mm) 23
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 4.3
Femur force - right (kN) 5.6
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.66
Maximum tibia index - right 0.77
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.1
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 3.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 112
Right 140

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Seats with adjustable head restraints

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Seats with adjustable head restraints
Geometry
Backset (mm) 60
Distance below top of head (mm) 100
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 0.0
Head contact time (ms)
Force rating 0
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)
Max neck tension (N)

Seat type: Seats with fixed head restraints

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Seats with fixed head restraints
Geometry
Backset (mm) 70
Distance below top of head (mm) 125
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 0.0
Head contact time (ms)
Force rating 0
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)
Max neck tension (N)

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.